Health care workers fear USAid cuts

There is no certainty on what will happen to South Africa's HIV/ Aids health care when funding from the US Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (Pepfar) Bridge Plan ends next year.

- Oratile Mashilo

In a presentation to parliament's standing committee on appropriations yesterday, the department of health detailed how it would spend the $115 million (about R2.1 billion) recently received through Pepfar's Bridge Plan, aimed at sustaining HIV prevention and treatment.

It said Pepfar had initially paused all its projects in 27 districts following executive orders issued by US President Donald Trump in January.

The move saw USAid funding terminated, leading to job losses for more than 8 400 health care workers across numerous HIV/Aids programmes in South Africa.